Multiple-way valve



Jan. 19, 1960 T. ZETTL 2,921,604

MULTIPLE-WAY VALVE Filed May 1, 1957 I'm 527mm Unite Sttes 2,921,604 MULTIPLE-WAY VALVE Toni Zettl, Dortmund, Germany, assignor to Heinrich Bartz KG., Dortmund-Korne, Germany The present invention relates to multiple-way valves.

When multi-way valves are used in hydraulic installations, they are often required to change the direction of liquid flow as by reversing the direction of liquid flow, for example. When such a reversal takes place, the valve sharply changes the direction of fluid flow and as a result great flow losses are produced. These losses are particularly great when the hydraulic liquid moves at a high speed, which is often the case.

One of the objects of the present invention is to avoid the above drawbacks by providing a multiple-way valve capable of reversing the d.rection of flow without sharply changing the direction of liquid movement.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a valve of simple rugged construction which is inexpensive to manufacture and reliable in operation.

With the above objects in view the present invention mainly consists of a multiple-way valve which includes a turnable valve member having a predetermned turning axis extending therethrough. This valve member is formed with a plurality of passages passing therethrough skew to the turning axis, and these passages each have one end located in a predetermined plane normal to the turning axis. Some of these passages respectively terminate distant from the predetermined plane in a second plane parallel to and located'on one side of the predetermined plane, while the remaining passages respectively terminate distant from the predetermined plane in a third plane parallel to and located on the opposite side of the predetermined plane.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claim. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific 5o embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the valve of the present invention, Fig. 1 showing the valve member above the valve housing and the valve housing being partly broken away to clearly illustrate the arrangement of openings thereof;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the valve member of the present invention;

Fig. 3 shows the valve member as it appears when looking toward the right side of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an elevational View of the valve member as it appears when looking at the side thereof not visible in Fig. 2; 65

Fig. 5 shows the valve member as it appears from the left side of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the valve member;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the valve member and valve housing, Fig. 7 showing in dotted lines only two of the passages of the valve member for the sake of. clarity;

near I ice Fig. 8 is a front elevational view of the structure of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the valve member and valve housing showing the structure when the valve member has a diiferent position from that shown in Fig. 7, only two of. the passages of the valve member being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9 also for the sake-of clarity; and

Fig. 10 is a front elevational view of the structure of Fig. 9.

- Referring now to the drawings, and to Fig. 2 in particular, it will be seen that the cylindrical valve member is provided with four passages extending therethrough skewed to the axis of the valve member and having ends located in the parallel. planes X-X, YY, and ZZ which are normal to the axis of the valve member. Thus, the passages 11 and b have a common end a located in the plane YY, and the passages c and d respectively have ends c and d also located in the plane Y-,-Y. All of these passages are straight, and the plane YY is located midway between the top and bottom ends of the valve member. As is apparent particularly from Fig. 6, the passages a and b diverge with respect to each other from their common end 11,, while the passages c and at cross each other.

As may be seen from Figs. 2 and 3, thepassage b terminates distant from its end a, in an end [1 located in the plane ZZ, while the passage 0 terminates distant from its end a, in an end c located in the plane XX. As may be seen from Figs. 2 and 5, the passage a terminates distant from its end a in an end 11 located in the plane ZZ, while the passage d terminates distant from its end d, in an end d located in the plane XX. Thus, as is particularly apparent from Fig. 4, the passage ends c and d are located in the common plane XX, and the passage ends a and [2 are located in the common plane ZZ.

The angular distribution of the passage ends is shown most clearly in Fig. 6. When the passage ends a b c and d are projected upon the plane YY, the ends a and b respectively coincide with the ends 0 and d The one pair of coinciding ends are angularly spaced from the other pair of coinciding ends by Furthermore, the two pairs of coinciding ends a 0 and 12 ,11 are respectively spaced angularly from the ends d, and c by 45, the ends d and 0 being diametrically opposite each other. These ends 0 and d are equidistant from the common end a, of the passages a and b and are located between the common end a, and the two pairs of coinciding passage ends. Thus, the common end 0 is angularly spaced from each of the ends c and d by 90- As is apparent from Figs. 1 and 2, the valve member is formed in its outer face with an axial groove 0 extending in opposite directions from the end al of the passages a and 12 through and beyond the planes XX and Z--Z, this groove terminating short of the top and bottom ends of the valve member.

As may be seen from Fig. 8, the valve housing, which is of hollow cylindrical configuration and which slidably and coaxially receives the valve member so that the latter is turnable in the housing about the axis thereof, is formed with a pair of openings A and B located in the plane Y-Y and with an additional pair of openings C and D respectively located in the planes ZZ and X-X. As may be seen from Figs. 7 and 9 as well as Fig. 8, the openings A and B are angularly spaced from each other by 90 while the openings C and D are located along a line parallel to the valve axis and when projected upon the plane YY the openings C and D coincide and are angularly spaced from each of the openings A and B by When the valve has the position shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the passage a communicates through its end a; with the opening A and it communicates through its end a; with the opening C. Also, at this time the passage c communicates through its opening c with the opening B and through its end with the opening D. Assuming that a suitable conduit communicates with the opening A so as to supply a hydraulic liquid thereto in the direction of arrow H of Fig. 7, this liquid will fio-w through the passage [1 and the housing opening C. The return how when the valve has the position of Figs. 7 and 8 communicates with the housing opening D, and thus the hydraulic fluid returns through the passage 0 and leaves the valve housing through its opening B from where the liquid fiows in the direction of arrow R of Fig. 7 along any suitable conduit.

If the flow of hydraulic liquid in the machine is to be reversed, then it is only necessary to turn the valve member with respect to the stationary valve housing in the direction of arrow P of Fig. 7 through 90, and the valve then has the position shown in Figs. 9 and 10. in this position the housing opening A communicates through the passage d with the housing opening D, and the housing opening B communicates through the passage b with the housing opening C. Thus, the liquid supplied in the direction of arrow H through the housing opening A will flow through the opening D and will return through the valve housing opening C from where the liquid flows through the passage b back to the reservoir or the like. Therefore, with the valve of the invention it is only necessary to turn the valve member in one direction or the other through 90 in order to reverse the flow, and in the valve itself no sharp change in the direction of liquid movement takes place.

If the valve member is turned in a direction opposite to the arrow P of Fig. 7 through 135 from the position of Fig. 7 none of the passage ends of the valve member will coincide with the openings of the valve housing so that the how of liquid Will be stopped. Moreover, when the valve is in this position the groove (1 of the valve member will place the openings C and D of the valve housing in communication with each other.

It Will be noted from Fig. 6 that aplane which includes the axis of the valve member and passes through an end of any one of the passages aa makes an angle of 22.5 with a plane which includes the passage and is parallel to the valve axis.

It will be understood that each-of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of valves diifering from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in multiple-way valves, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential char A acteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A multiple-way valve comprising, in combination, a hollow cylindrical valve housing formed with a first pair of openings passing therethrough, located in a predetermined plane normal to the axis of said housing and angularly spaced from each other about said axis by said housing being formed with a second pair of openings respectively spaced from and located on opposite sides of said predetermined plane along a straight line parallel to the housing axis, said second pair of openings being respectively located in second and third planes parallel to said predetermined plane and said second pair of openings when projected upon said predetermined plane being equidistantly spaced from said first pair of openings; and a cylindrical valve member coaxial with said housing, located within the latter for turning movement about the axis thereof, and having an outer surface slidably engaging the inner surface of said housing, said valve member being formed with four straight passages extending therethrough skew to the housing axis, a first pair of said passages having a common end located in said prede termined plane and the second pair of passages respectively having ends located in said predetermined plane and angularly spaced from each other by said common end being equidistantly located from said ends of said second pair of passages in said predetermined plane, said first pair of passages diverging with respect to each other from their common end and terminating distant there from in a pair of ends respectively located in said second plane, and said second pair of passages respectively terminating distant from said predetermined plane in a pair of ends located in said third plane, the ends of said second pair of passages in said third plane respectively coinciding with the ends of said first passages in said second plane when the passage ends in said second and third planes are projected upon said predetermined plane, and when thus projected the latter passage ends being respectively spaced angularly from the ends of said second pair of passages in said predetermined plane by 45 and located at the side of said latter ends opposite from said common end of said first pair of passages.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 744,132 Tutwiler Nov. 17, 1903 2,042,186 Peterson May 26, 1936 2,165,096 Frechette July 4, 1939 2,229,933 Parker Ian. 28, 1941 2,344,913 Ager Mar. 21, 1944 2,364,697 Daniels Dec. 12, 1944 2,398,542 Light Apr. 16, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 371,603 Great Britain Apr. 28, 1932 

